Who doesn’t like treats? We all do, and so do our furry companions! But, if they like them so much, why do dogs hide their treats?
I am sure all of you have seen at least once your dog hiding his toy. He might have hid it somewhere in the house or in the yard. This is a kind of a game your dog likes to play.
Okay, hiding a toy is understandable, but, what about treats? Is hiding treats also a sort of game for our dogs?
This behavior has some logical explanations, so you don’t have to worry whether your dog is acting weird. Many dogs will act this way, regardless of the dog breed, age, or sex.
So, let’s see why your dog would hide its treats.
Why Do Dogs Hide Their Treats?
You saw your dog hiding his treats, and you wondered: why is my dog acting weird all of the sudden?
This might be the first time you noticed this kind of behavior in your pet, but it does not necessarily mean that this was the first time your dog did this.
Actually, this is not one of the dog’s weird behaviors, since a dog might hide its treats often. However, it is good to watch out that this does not become a dog’s compulsive behavior.
But, first, let’s see what are some explanations for why your dog would hide his treats.
1. Natural Instincts
Long ago, before our dogs became domesticated, they lived in a different way. Wild dogs lived in packs and used to go hunting to acquire food.
These dogs didn’t have their loving owners that fed them every day, like we do with our pets today. So, if a dog acquired some food, it would usually hide it somewhere, therefore, making a form of stock in case that it wouldn’t have enough food someday in the future.
So, dogs didn’t always have enough food, and they wanted to redistribute it wisely.
Obviously, our dogs live completely different lives today. However, they have retained some of their natural instinct.
So, if your dog is hiding his treats, he is probably keeping them for later. You probably give your dog his favorite treats quite often, but still – don’t be surprised if your dog hides it.
2. Don’t Want Them At The Moment
Your dog adores treats so much. This love is so big that he sometimes even refuses to eat dog food, but wants to eat treats.
So, why does he hide them, then? Maybe he is not hungry at the moment. He just had a delicious meal, and cannot eat treats right after. Yes, it is possible for our dogs sometimes not to be hungry, although it might be hard to believe!
So, your dog will take treats from you, but will not want to eat it right away. He wants to keep them for later. Therefore, he will hide them in a safe place, so that nobody will take them from him.
3. Attention Seeking
Sometimes your dog will hide his treats to attract your attention.
Simply, he is used to getting what he wants, and what he wants right now is for you to play with him.
Your dog will probably won’t show understanding if you are currently doing something else other than spending time with him.
You have probably played a hide and seek game with your pooch for a million times. You know, when you hide your dog’s favorite toy, and you guide him to find it.
Maybe your dog is actually hiding his treats to play this game with you in his own way.
Our canine companions are such intelligent animals, aren’t they?
4. Anxiety
Treats hiding might also be a sign of a dog’s anxiety.
This could happen more often with dogs from shelters, which are, unfortunately, dogs that have had some bad experiences before they came to your home.
How can you tell your dog is anxious or stressed? Pay attention to whether the dog suddenly becomes afraid of something in your house.
Dogs that were neglected and that are not used to receiving attention and love from their owners easily become stressed and frightened.
So, they might even be afraid of loud home appliances.
But, why would an anxious dog hide his treats? Maybe he is not even used to getting treats from his owners. All this could be totally new to him. And, yes, he still enjoys the dog treats. So much that he wants to hide them and enjoy them in private!
5. Living In A Multipet Household
Do you have another dog, or perhaps a cat in your home, too? If yes, we are not surprised your dog is hiding his treats!
Cats and dogs can get on well with each other, especially if they have been living together for a longer period of time. This means they can stand each other without one attacking the other, not in a sense that they can mate or something similar.
But, to be honest, many dogs will never like living with a cat, or even with another dog. They will especially hate sharing their treats with anybody.
So, if your dog hides his treats, this is probably his attempt to save them from being stolen from his animal counterparts.
My Dog Hides His Treats: Should I Do Something About This?
You should probably not get too worried if your dog is hiding his treats. He is probably doing this due to natural instincts, or because he is trying to hide them from other dogs or cats.
However, many dog owners will want to stop this kind of behavior. I completely understand, since digging holes in your yard, or your dog hiding his treats all over the house, can be very tiring.
Also, I want to emphasize that your dog might find treats he hid a long time ago. If he eats them, he might even get some stomach problems, if the treats have been in that place for a long time, and are now very old.
If you think your dog is hiding his treats because he is bored, or he wants your attention, and he is trying to get you to play with him, you should fulfill your dog’s wishes. Maybe you giving your dog attention will stop him from hiding his treats!
However, if nothing seems to be working, and your dog keeps hiding his treats, a better solution would be to contact a veterinarian, or even a dog trainer.
A veterinarian will check whether everything is in order with your dog’ health.
A dog trainer will be helpful if your dog has some serious anxiety issues, the ones that you are not able to help him by yourself.
Summary
Why do dogs hide their treats? Their natural instincts might be the culprit. They just want to make sure they will have enough treats, and they will not have to share their favorite treats with other dogs!
Some dogs might not want the treats at the moment, but they want to keep them for later. Some will just want to attract your attention by hiding their treats, and some might do this because they are anxious.
So, there is actually quite a story behind the issue of treats hiding. Somebody would say that dogs are so easy to understand and to satisfy, but, I can tell you for sure that there is so much more behind every dog’s behavior.
So, treats hiding might be completely harmless, but it also might indicate that your puppy needs your help.
I hope you will pay attention to your puppy’s behavior, and that you will be able to determine which is your dog’s reason for hiding treats.